| JUNE 2008 Pages - Page 6 |
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IEMMA's HYPOCRISY ON 'FAMILY FRIENDLY' SITTING HOURS DEEPENS
Has Morris Iemma, Premier of NSW got no shame ?
Remember, his decree that parliament was not to sit beyond 7pm, to ensure family friendly hours and also because rational
decisions could not be made after midnight.
On 3 June 2008 he allowed Frank Sartor MP to keep the parliament sitting until 2am, when a vote was taken on a bill.
On 4 June 2008 the parliament sat to 9.30pm.
On 5 June 2008 government business was completed at 4.30pm and the house adjourned at 5.35pm.
One has to ask - Why did the Sartor bill have to be passed at 2am in the morning ? Why could the debate not be spread over 3 days- with the
house sitting to say 8pm on each day ? Why was it so absolutely necessary for the bill to be passed on 3 June 2008 ? Would it have made any
practical difference, had the bill not been passed until 5 June 2008 ?
One suspects there is absolutely no reason at all.
One must therefore conclude that Premier Iemma has no control over Frank Sartor MP, and allows Frank to do what he chooses. Further one
must conclude that Premier Iemma engages in hypocrisy - without any shame at all.
===============================================================================================================
Has Morris Iemma, Premier of NSW got no shame ?
Remember, his decree that parliament was not to sit beyond 7pm, to ensure family friendly hours and also because rational
decisions could not be made after midnight.
On 3 June 2008 he allowed Frank Sartor MP to keep the parliament sitting until 2am, when a vote was taken on a bill.
On 4 June 2008 the parliament sat to 9.30pm.
On 5 June 2008 government business was completed at 4.30pm and the house adjourned at 5.35pm.
One has to ask - Why did the Sartor bill have to be passed at 2am in the morning ? Why could the debate not be spread over 3 days- with the
house sitting to say 8pm on each day ? Why was it so absolutely necessary for the bill to be passed on 3 June 2008 ? Would it have made any
practical difference, had the bill not been passed until 5 June 2008 ?
One suspects there is absolutely no reason at all.
One must therefore conclude that Premier Iemma has no control over Frank Sartor MP, and allows Frank to do what he chooses. Further one
must conclude that Premier Iemma engages in hypocrisy - without any shame at all.
===============================================================================================================
IEMMA GOVERNMENT ACCUSED OF DESERTING ORANGE PEOPLE
According to a report Orange city is 10 months away from running out of water and the Iemma government has failed to act on a funding request.
According to a spokesperson in a Minister's office (can he/she be trusted to get the facts right ?), it is being "looked into".
Greens councillor Jeremy Buckingham said :
“The mayor {John Davis] and our general manager should be camped out on the stairs of NSW Parliament house until we get this
money. It is beyond belief that here we are, 10 months away from running out of water and we have no funding commitments
whatsoever from the State Government.”
The Central Western Daily says :
Orange City Council yesterday continued to release basic statements on the issue and refused to be critical of the time taken by the government
to assess the application.
SOURCE :
Bevan Shields, A dry argument, Central Western Daily, 5 June 2008
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According to a report Orange city is 10 months away from running out of water and the Iemma government has failed to act on a funding request.
According to a spokesperson in a Minister's office (can he/she be trusted to get the facts right ?), it is being "looked into".
Greens councillor Jeremy Buckingham said :
“The mayor {John Davis] and our general manager should be camped out on the stairs of NSW Parliament house until we get this
money. It is beyond belief that here we are, 10 months away from running out of water and we have no funding commitments
whatsoever from the State Government.”
The Central Western Daily says :
Orange City Council yesterday continued to release basic statements on the issue and refused to be critical of the time taken by the government
to assess the application.
SOURCE :
Bevan Shields, A dry argument, Central Western Daily, 5 June 2008
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BATHURST GETS CHICKEN S**T IN BUDGET
According to Gerard Martin MP (Bathurst) the Bathurst electorate was "allocated" $31.6 million by the Costa 2008 budget.
This is chicken s**t compared to the $250 million for Port Macquarie, $129 million for Tamworth, $124 million for
Northern Tablelands and the $121 million for Dubbo.
Perhaps this is just Premier Iemma's way of saying - f**k you Martin, you don't support my electricity sell-off, so f**k you.
see : Miriam Siers, Budget’s $31.6m boost for Bathurst , Western Advocate, 4 June 2008.
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According to Gerard Martin MP (Bathurst) the Bathurst electorate was "allocated" $31.6 million by the Costa 2008 budget.
This is chicken s**t compared to the $250 million for Port Macquarie, $129 million for Tamworth, $124 million for
Northern Tablelands and the $121 million for Dubbo.
Perhaps this is just Premier Iemma's way of saying - f**k you Martin, you don't support my electricity sell-off, so f**k you.
see : Miriam Siers, Budget’s $31.6m boost for Bathurst , Western Advocate, 4 June 2008.
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MOREE ON THE MOVE
The north-west town of Moree is on the move. It has been rated as one of the top 12 places for investment in Australia.
"Moree seems to have a very strong agricultural economy, a healthy tourism industry and good prospects like the inland rail link that make the
area quite prosperous.” according to one commentator.
Some of the drawcards for Moree included its slogan as the “artesian spa capital”, the gas pipeline project, location close to important
centres and Mehi River, facilities like the golf course and services like education, transport and health amongst other things.
Apart from being a thriving community in which to live, the Council is seeking to make the journey to the other side more appealing, with plans to
build a funeral parlour, crematorium and multifunction centre.
SOURCES :
Cady Anderson, Moree in Australia’s top 12 for investment , Moree Champion, 30 May 2008.
Cady Anderson, Crematorium and funeral parlour proposed for Moree, Moree Champion, 22 May 2008.
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The north-west town of Moree is on the move. It has been rated as one of the top 12 places for investment in Australia.
"Moree seems to have a very strong agricultural economy, a healthy tourism industry and good prospects like the inland rail link that make the
area quite prosperous.” according to one commentator.
Some of the drawcards for Moree included its slogan as the “artesian spa capital”, the gas pipeline project, location close to important
centres and Mehi River, facilities like the golf course and services like education, transport and health amongst other things.
Apart from being a thriving community in which to live, the Council is seeking to make the journey to the other side more appealing, with plans to
build a funeral parlour, crematorium and multifunction centre.
SOURCES :
Cady Anderson, Moree in Australia’s top 12 for investment , Moree Champion, 30 May 2008.
Cady Anderson, Crematorium and funeral parlour proposed for Moree, Moree Champion, 22 May 2008.
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NSW EXPORTING KNOWLEDGE TO CHINA
China's farming sector relies on generation old technology. However, the NSW government will provide assistance and expertise to enable
China's farming sector to move to cutting edge technology. NSW Primary Industries Minister Ian Michael Macdonald, MLC foresees China
reaching a stage where it will export food products to Australia, particularly market garden products like tomatoes and zucchinis, but says this will
not threaten the livelihood of NSW farmers.
Mr Macdonald recently visited China with Premier Iemma.
Mr Macdonald is featured as "Macca" in the famous movie, Iemma's Dilemma .
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China's farming sector relies on generation old technology. However, the NSW government will provide assistance and expertise to enable
China's farming sector to move to cutting edge technology. NSW Primary Industries Minister Ian Michael Macdonald, MLC foresees China
reaching a stage where it will export food products to Australia, particularly market garden products like tomatoes and zucchinis, but says this will
not threaten the livelihood of NSW farmers.
Mr Macdonald recently visited China with Premier Iemma.
Mr Macdonald is featured as "Macca" in the famous movie, Iemma's Dilemma .
================================================================================================================
COSTA BUDGET GETS COOL RECEPTION IN MAITLAND
Michael Costa's 2008 Budget has received a cool reception in Maitland, according to reports published in the Maitland Mercury newspaper.
Struggling Maitland MP, Frank Terrenzini said the electorate had received a "healthy share" of the budget, with $25 million allocated.
Mr Terrenzini must be dreaming. $25 million is a piddling amount compared to the $250 million in Port Macquarie, $129 million in Tamworth, $124
million in Northern Tablelands, $121 million in Dubbo and even the $35 million in Bathurst.
Maitland people must be wondering : "What have we done to deserve this ? " .
SOURCES :
Michael Morrissey, Mixed reaction to $44.9 million for regional development , Maitland Mercury, 4 June 2008.
Briony Sneddon & Michael Morrissey, $26 million funding for controversial dam , Maitland Mercury, 4 June 2008.
Michael Morrissey, Business a big winner , Maitland Mercury, 4 June 2008.
Briony Sneddon, $10 million start for bridge , Maitland Mercury, 4 June 2008.
==================================================================================================================
Michael Costa's 2008 Budget has received a cool reception in Maitland, according to reports published in the Maitland Mercury newspaper.
Struggling Maitland MP, Frank Terrenzini said the electorate had received a "healthy share" of the budget, with $25 million allocated.
Mr Terrenzini must be dreaming. $25 million is a piddling amount compared to the $250 million in Port Macquarie, $129 million in Tamworth, $124
million in Northern Tablelands, $121 million in Dubbo and even the $35 million in Bathurst.
Maitland people must be wondering : "What have we done to deserve this ? " .
SOURCES :
Michael Morrissey, Mixed reaction to $44.9 million for regional development , Maitland Mercury, 4 June 2008.
Briony Sneddon & Michael Morrissey, $26 million funding for controversial dam , Maitland Mercury, 4 June 2008.
Michael Morrissey, Business a big winner , Maitland Mercury, 4 June 2008.
Briony Sneddon, $10 million start for bridge , Maitland Mercury, 4 June 2008.
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NSW - A SORRY STATE OF AFFAIRS
First, it must be re-iterated that Mark Standen, charged with a conspiracy to import a precursor to "ice" is entitled
to the presumption of innocence, and that must be borne in mind at all times.
However, given the revelations in the Sydney Morning Herald, the real concern now is the processes of probity
and the fear that no one has been guarding the guard - in NSW's crime and corruption fighting bodies.
Police Minister David Campbell MP who up until now has seemingly taken the view that police should be given
'extra powers' (often at the cost of the safeguards of civil liberties) must now re-assess his views.
We suggest that the attitudes expoused by David Campbell MP are conducive to corruption, because his
statements that he 'backs police to the hilt' and his vehement criticism of anyone who dares question the wisdom
of handing police more powers, would have the tendency to cause :"corrupt" police to falsely believe they may receive protection
from the highest levels.
The question now is - how entrenched is the culture, and to what extent do the tentacles of corruption now reach into the highest levels of law
enforcement agencies - and possibly agencies oversighting them.
SOURCES :
Kate McClymont, Andrew Clennell & Matthew Moore, Standen corruption charges revealed , Sydney Morning Herald, 6 June 2008.
Richard Ackland , New act, but characters past haunt the scene , Sydney Morning Herald, 6 June 2008.
================================================================================================================
First, it must be re-iterated that Mark Standen, charged with a conspiracy to import a precursor to "ice" is entitled
to the presumption of innocence, and that must be borne in mind at all times.
However, given the revelations in the Sydney Morning Herald, the real concern now is the processes of probity
and the fear that no one has been guarding the guard - in NSW's crime and corruption fighting bodies.
Police Minister David Campbell MP who up until now has seemingly taken the view that police should be given
'extra powers' (often at the cost of the safeguards of civil liberties) must now re-assess his views.
We suggest that the attitudes expoused by David Campbell MP are conducive to corruption, because his
statements that he 'backs police to the hilt' and his vehement criticism of anyone who dares question the wisdom
of handing police more powers, would have the tendency to cause :"corrupt" police to falsely believe they may receive protection
from the highest levels.
The question now is - how entrenched is the culture, and to what extent do the tentacles of corruption now reach into the highest levels of law
enforcement agencies - and possibly agencies oversighting them.
SOURCES :
Kate McClymont, Andrew Clennell & Matthew Moore, Standen corruption charges revealed , Sydney Morning Herald, 6 June 2008.
Richard Ackland , New act, but characters past haunt the scene , Sydney Morning Herald, 6 June 2008.
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CAN REBA MEAGHER MANAGE ?
We wrote earlier about the nurses campaign for increased wages and the incident at a NSW
healthcare facility where it was suggested to a nurse that the reason NSW nurses got only a 15%
penalty for night shift, and WA nurses a 50% penalty, was because of John Howard (that particular
nurse is currently considering moving to WA at the conclusion of current studies).
Anyway, it now appears Reba Meagher MP, NSW Minister for Health has put a 3.9% pay rise offer for 12 months on the table. The Nurses
Association is yet to vote on the offer, which it will no doubt do, in it's own democratic fashion in due course. Considering that Treasurer Costa
has decreed a cap of 2.5% on wages and Premier Iemma has said higher wage rises are permissible in return for productivity gains - I don't
know where Reba expects the productivity gains to come from. Nurses are flat out like a lizard at the moment, and there just isn't any "slack" to
be taken up. Perhaps productivity gains can come from the bureaucracy in health. There is certainly anecdotal evidence that those in
"administration" are as useful as a knife at a gunfight.
Reba Meagher gets a mention in the famous movie Iemma's Dilemma -
Pi :At the conference Kenneally and Meagher were hopeless. They're both useless.
G : Premier, don't blame Kenneally and Meagher.
PI : Too busy at the gym !. What do they care about privatisation ?
G: Premier, you cant blame them for spending time at the gym.
SOURCE :
Alexandra Smith , NSW: anti-union one day, offering 3.9% the next , Sydney Morning Herald, 6 June 2008.
=================================================================================================================
We wrote earlier about the nurses campaign for increased wages and the incident at a NSW
healthcare facility where it was suggested to a nurse that the reason NSW nurses got only a 15%
penalty for night shift, and WA nurses a 50% penalty, was because of John Howard (that particular
nurse is currently considering moving to WA at the conclusion of current studies).
Anyway, it now appears Reba Meagher MP, NSW Minister for Health has put a 3.9% pay rise offer for 12 months on the table. The Nurses
Association is yet to vote on the offer, which it will no doubt do, in it's own democratic fashion in due course. Considering that Treasurer Costa
has decreed a cap of 2.5% on wages and Premier Iemma has said higher wage rises are permissible in return for productivity gains - I don't
know where Reba expects the productivity gains to come from. Nurses are flat out like a lizard at the moment, and there just isn't any "slack" to
be taken up. Perhaps productivity gains can come from the bureaucracy in health. There is certainly anecdotal evidence that those in
"administration" are as useful as a knife at a gunfight.
Reba Meagher gets a mention in the famous movie Iemma's Dilemma -
Pi :At the conference Kenneally and Meagher were hopeless. They're both useless.
G : Premier, don't blame Kenneally and Meagher.
PI : Too busy at the gym !. What do they care about privatisation ?
G: Premier, you cant blame them for spending time at the gym.
SOURCE :
Alexandra Smith , NSW: anti-union one day, offering 3.9% the next , Sydney Morning Herald, 6 June 2008.
=================================================================================================================
PORKING IN THE DUNNY
Peter Hartcher writes in the Sydney Morning Herald about a $60,000 dunny constructed in the town of Lock in
South Australia (at a cost of $206 per head of the town's population).
It seems dunny's are popular for porking .
In the book High Lean Country: Land, People and Memory in New England , Frank Bongiorno writes of an incident
in the township of Kentucky on 9 October 2004 - federal election day. He had the job of delivering how-to-vote
material for the ALP to the township. In the afternoon he returned to collect the remnants.
The village is still quite, but there's now a lady sitting at a table crotcheting enthusiastically. She's handing out how-to-vote cards for
the Independent candidate, Tony Windsor, or would be, if there were anyone to take them. We start talking; she tells me about the
toilet in the park across the street. It's clear from what she says that gaining official support for the construction of this little outhouse
had been no simple matter, it's appearance a civic triumph. (p.244).
Peter Hartcher concludes his article by saying :
The Rudd Government needs to beware the traditional belief of tribal American Indians - that a warrior inherits all the qualities of the enemy he
kills. There are lots of worthy toilet projects just screaming out for federal funding.
Perhaps porking , like pornography, lies in the eyes of the beholder ?
SOURCES :
Bongiorno F (2006) Politics, Chapter 20 in Davidson I, Piper A, Atkinson A, & Ryan JS (eds.), High Lean Country: Land, People and Memory in
New England, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest .
Peter Hartcher, Answering two calls of nature , Sydney Morning Herald, 6 June 2008.
================================================================================================================
Peter Hartcher writes in the Sydney Morning Herald about a $60,000 dunny constructed in the town of Lock in
South Australia (at a cost of $206 per head of the town's population).
It seems dunny's are popular for porking .
In the book High Lean Country: Land, People and Memory in New England , Frank Bongiorno writes of an incident
in the township of Kentucky on 9 October 2004 - federal election day. He had the job of delivering how-to-vote
material for the ALP to the township. In the afternoon he returned to collect the remnants.
The village is still quite, but there's now a lady sitting at a table crotcheting enthusiastically. She's handing out how-to-vote cards for
the Independent candidate, Tony Windsor, or would be, if there were anyone to take them. We start talking; she tells me about the
toilet in the park across the street. It's clear from what she says that gaining official support for the construction of this little outhouse
had been no simple matter, it's appearance a civic triumph. (p.244).
Peter Hartcher concludes his article by saying :
The Rudd Government needs to beware the traditional belief of tribal American Indians - that a warrior inherits all the qualities of the enemy he
kills. There are lots of worthy toilet projects just screaming out for federal funding.
Perhaps porking , like pornography, lies in the eyes of the beholder ?
SOURCES :
Bongiorno F (2006) Politics, Chapter 20 in Davidson I, Piper A, Atkinson A, & Ryan JS (eds.), High Lean Country: Land, People and Memory in
New England, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest .
Peter Hartcher, Answering two calls of nature , Sydney Morning Herald, 6 June 2008.
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DRAPER POURS COLD WATER ON ETHANOL FOR OIL
Peter Draper MP (Tamworth) has suggested the proposed ethanol plant to be constructed in Gunnedah is on
shaky grounds.
However, the promoter has rejected Mr Draper's claims.
For some unknown reason, Mr Draper appears to have embarked on a campaign of 'killing off' this project.
Given the significance of it to the electorate of Tamworth and the town of Gunnedah in particular you would think
he would be offering every encouragement to get it up and running.
Might be a personal issue - who knows.
see: Simon Chamberlain, BP's change of heart 'a bolt from the blue' , Northern Daily Leader, 6 June 2008.
=================================================================================================================
Peter Draper MP (Tamworth) has suggested the proposed ethanol plant to be constructed in Gunnedah is on
shaky grounds.
However, the promoter has rejected Mr Draper's claims.
For some unknown reason, Mr Draper appears to have embarked on a campaign of 'killing off' this project.
Given the significance of it to the electorate of Tamworth and the town of Gunnedah in particular you would think
he would be offering every encouragement to get it up and running.
Might be a personal issue - who knows.
see: Simon Chamberlain, BP's change of heart 'a bolt from the blue' , Northern Daily Leader, 6 June 2008.
=================================================================================================================
ACTING JUSTICE DAVID PATTEN TO CONDUCT REVIEW OF NGO CONVICTION
Former solicitor and District Court Judge, now Acting Supreme Court Justice, David Patten will conduct a review
into the conviction of Phuong Ngo, for the murder of Cabramatta MP John Newman on 5 September 1994.
David Patten, at one time was President of the NSW Liberal Party (1978-1982).
Phuong Ngo was convicted by a jury on 29 June 2001 and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was convicted on
the basis that he was a principle in the first degree - by masterminding the killing, but the alleged killer, David Dinh,
and an alleged getaway car driver, Quang Dao, were both acquitted. The Crown alleged that the motive for the murder was to remove Mr
Newman, so that Ngo could take over the seat of Cabramatta.
He appealed to the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal. It dismissed his appeal on 3 April 2003 .He later sought leave to appeal to the High Court of
Australia. The leave application was heard on 28 May 2004. Mr Tim Game, SC , a very highly respected criminal defence counsel, appeared for
Mr Ngo and Mr Greg Smith, now the MP for Epping, appeared on behalf of the DPP. Leave was refused .
Peter Breen, a former NSW MLC, has strenuously advocated that Ngo was innocent. Tim Anderson , convicted of the Hilton bombing but later
freed, was present at Mr Ngo's sentence hearing. He has always vehemently believed Mr Ngo was wrongly convicted.
Calls for a review intensified after a Four Corners programme was screened on 7 April 2008.
Ngo is held in the notorious Supermax at Goulburn. He commenced his sentence at Long Bay Gaol, but after a public furore over a Chinese New
Year Party he held in the gaol, he was transferred to Lithgow. In June 2003 he was transferred to the Supermax, when it was claimed he was
planning an escape and was being given 'protection' by a gang of prisoners.
The killing of Mr Newman sent shock-waves through political circles. It was the first time a serving Australian politician was killed. This was
particularly worrying for MP's, as Mr Newman had taken a strong stand against crime and corruption. His last speech to parliament on 11 May
1994 was on that subject. To this day, former Minister at the time and later Opposition Leader, Kerry Chikarovski remembers exactly where she
was and what she was doing, when news reached her of the killing on that September night in 1994.
Following Mr Newman's death, a by-election in the seat of Cabramatta was held on 22 October 1994. Reba Meagher was selected as the Labor
candidate in a preselection contest with Ken Chapman, a Fairfield councillor and Newmans electoral secretary, by 32 votes to 26. Ms Meagher
won the by-election. Mr Ngo did not seek pre-selection. In her inaugural speech Ms Meagher expressed gratitude to many people for her
election :
" In particular I would like to mention councillors Nick Lalich, Ken Chapman and Phong Ngo, together with the members of the State Electorate
Council."
Prior to joining the Labor Party Mr Ngo had been a member of the Liberal Party. He resigned from the Liberal Party and stood as an Independent
against Mr Newman in the 1991 election. He joined the Labor Party in March 1993.
In early 1994, Mr Ngo told the Four Corners programme:
". . . I am just like a prostitute. I don't care whoever I sleep with, as long as I achieve things for the community that I represent."
In 1996 Ngo was involved in a branch-stacking competition with the Terrigal's Joe Tripodi MP (Fairfield), which related to a pre-selection for the
federal seat of Fowler. Mr Tripodi, founded the Park Areas branch and was busily recruiting members, whilst Mr Ngo was recruiting for the Canley
Vale branch. That branch-stacking was the impetus for NSW Labor to adopt new rules relating to branch membership.
In August 1997 Alex Mitchell and Jim O'Rourke wrote in the Sun-Herald newspaper :
THE first time they assassinated Labor MP John Newman was outside his home in Cabramatta on September 5, 1994.
After he was buried, they went after him again.
In the second assault, they assassinated his character, putting around rumours that Newman was involved in something shady.
And now, on the third anniversary of his murder, with his killers still at large, there is a concerted attempt to bury everything about him.
In death, Newman has become an embarrassment to his former colleagues in the parliamentary Labor Party. They would prefer to draw a veil
over the career of the maverick MP for Cabramatta because they are uneasy about the fallout from a full-scale investigation.
A benefit dinner at State Parliament last year in aid of his stateless, homeless and virtually penniless companion, Lucy Wang, was cancelled
through lack of support. Indeed, Liberal MPs donated more generously to Wang's support than his ALP comrades.
The long-running police investigation is stalled. If one is to believe the private police media briefings to hand-picked journalists, two of the gunmen
are already dead, having been slain in internal warfare within the notorious 5T drugs gang.
...........
Newman's brother, Peter Naumenko, cannot hide his anger either over the faltering police investigation and the Government's unusual silence
over the killing. He told The SunHerald: "There is still a deep anger seething inside us because no one has been punished for the crime. Knowing
that person is still out there, living, breathing, enjoying life and John is cold in the grave, that's not right. I want those people to feel the pain we
are going through. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot them myself."
Naumenko and his mother wanted to know why the police investigation had halted and why the Government and the political party which nurtured
her son were not pressing for a public inquiry.
"We get frustrated hearing and seeing media reports that police have information about certain individuals in relation to John's death, yet nothing
seems to come of it," Naumenko said.
"We've heard that the police have three main suspects. It's pretty obvious the police know who did it, yet they can't find enough evidence."
He said the family had received little feedback from the police despite assurances they would be kept up-to-date with any relevant new
information.
"The last contact we had with the police was about a year ago when they told us certain things and that they were working as hard as they could
and would let us know about any information as it came to hand," he said. "Obviously, they're now bogged down."
Naumenko and another Cabramatta resident have begun circulating a petition calling on the State Government to establish a royal commission
into who is controlling the drug trade in the region and whether the identity of those people is being covered up and by whom.
Last week, they attempted to leave a petition in the office of the Cabramatta MP Reba Meagher but were asked to leave.
"If the local member's office won't accept the petition, then who will?" asked Naumenko, who conceded that Meagher did not know who he was.
"At least I'm doing something, not like Government ministers who seem quite happy to see this issue die and go away. You'd think they'd look
after one of their own. They just want to wipe John's memory from Cabramatta."
............
Chapman, a Labor Party stalwart for 33 years, served on Fairfield Council for the first time between 1971-74. He met Newman in the late 1970s
when they were both members of the ALP's Canley Heights branch. Since Newman's death, Chapman's political life has been in turmoil.
As Cabramatta branch president and as a senior member of Fairfield Council representing the Cabramatta ward, he stood for preselection for his
late friend's seat. A bitter preselection battle erupted in which he lost to Meagher, a former Young Labor president from the north shore.
Chapman quit the ALP in disgust and formed his own party, the Cabra-Vale Independents. "The only way I could continue the crusade of John
Newman was to leave the ALP and stand for council as an Independent," he said.
He called for an immediate coronial inquiry, saying: "An inquest will raise a lot of issues and a lot of questions and put a lot more scrutiny on to a
lot of individuals. It has been a long, tedious and slow process, but I believe they should have enough information now to forward to an inquest.
"I think police have a good idea who did it and how it was done."
Chapman said he was frustrated at the attitude of the State Government towards the investigation. During a recent launch of a scheme to help
fight the drug problem in Cabramatta, Chapman had the chance to ask Police Minister Paul Whelan why the investigation into Newman's death
was taking so long. "He just looked at me with a blank stare and said nothing," Chapman said.
On 2 February 1998 a coronial inquiry began into Mr Newman's death, at Westmead Coroners Court.
During the period of the inquest, on 13 March 1998, Phuong Ngo , Tuan Van Tran and Quang Dao were arrested and charged with Mr Newman's
murder.
Initially a court Registrar, Steven Lister, granted Mr Ngo conditional bail. However, Magistrate Ross McDermid revoked the bail. Mr Ngo, who was
represented at that time by flamboyant Campbelltown solicitor, John Marsden, appealed to the Supreme Court, but Acting Justice Kenneth
Carruthers refused bail. He has remained in custody to this day..
Mr Dao was granted $1.2 million bail by Supreme Court Justice Hunt and remained on bail until his acquittal.
All three were committed for trial in September 1998, by Magistrate Michael Price.
Mr Dao obtained an order to be tried separately. A joint trial of Mr Ngo and Mr Tran commenced before Mr Justice James Wood and a jury of 12
on 19 July 1999. However, that trial was aborted on 3 August 1999 and the jury discharged.
Then a bombshell was dropped.- Mr Tran had made a statement to police, was prepared to give evidence for the prosecution and was to be
granted an immunity from prosecution by the Attorney-General.
As a result , Thai Duy (David) Dinh was arrested. It was alleged he fired the bullets that killed Mr Newman. He was charged with murder. He was
refused bail and remained in custody until his eventual acquittal..
A second joint trial, this time of Mr Ngo and Mr Dao, commenced in February 2000, once again before Justice James Wood and a jury. Mr Tran,
who had rolled over, gave evidence in the prosecution case. Other witnesses called had been interviewed by the State Crime Commission under
"oath", under the Star Chamber like rules applying to that organisation. John Della Bosca MLC gave evidence for the prosecution of his
discussions with Mr Ngo, about him seeking preselection for Cabramatta. John Marsden, who had ceased acting for Mr Ngo at this stage, was also
called as a witness. He angrily told the Crown prosecutor, Mr Mark Tedeschi, QC, in response to a question : : "All phone calls are important to
me. I don't belong to the Bar. I am not a member of a big city legal firm. We try to help everyone. Don't infer to me that it was an inconsequential
phone call.". On 7 May 2000 the jury were unable to reach a unanimous verdict in either the case of Mr Ngo or Mr Dao, and the jury was
discharged.
A third joint trial, of Phuong Ngo, Tu Quang Dao and Thai Dinh (David) Duy commenced on 17 March 2001 before Justice John Dunford . The
prosecution case was that Mr Ngo was the mastermind behind the assassination, Mr Dinh fired the gun and Mr Dao drove the gunman to and
from Mr Newman's house. The jury retired to consider their verdict on 25 June 2001. On 29 June 2001 the jury found Mr Ngo guilty, but Mr Dao
and Mr Duy not guilty. This verdict caused grave concern to Mr Newman's fiancée, as she believed it meant the actual killer was still in the
community.
A sentence hearing was conducted on October 2001. The Crown Prosecutor, Mark Tedeschi, QC, who had appeared at all the trials, called for a
life sentence.
On 14 November 2001 Justice John Dunford sentenced Mr Ngo to life imprisonment without parole. He said :
The criminality in this case is greatly aggravated because it involved the killing of a member of parliament for political ends ".
"It therefore constituted an offence not only against the individual victim but it was also a direct attack on our system of democratic representative
government and struck at the very fabric of our public institutions ".
Mr Ngo and Mr Dao had also been charged with demanding money with menace and malicious wounding, arising out of events about 6 months
before Mr Newman's killing.
The trial on those charges was held in .September 2003.Evidence was given that Mr Ngo threatened to kill a businessman Vinh Loc Nguyen and
harm his family if he did not waive $300,000 Ngo owed him, and give Ngo a further $300,000.It was claimed Mr Nguyen was held down by three
men in an office at Cabramatta's Mekong Club on 3 March and was then stabbed whilst a gun was pointed at his head. Both Mr Ngo and Mr Dao
were found not guilty.
John Newman's brother, Peter Naumenko (Newman had anglicised his name) was very annoyed with the family's treatment at the hands of NSW
Labor. After the guilty verdict he said :
"At John's funeral all the Labor politicians turned up, even Paul Keating. They all said, if you ever need anything, just give us a call and I did, but
they didn't want to know. "
Mr Naumenko believed Labor may have been embarrassed. Ngo had been courted by the ALP. Mr Naumenko beiieved this was because Ngo
could give Labor entree to the Vietnamese community, and he was persuasive and polite, even to the point of being obsequious. Mr Naumenko
had wanted a memorial to his brother, but his letters to Premier Bob Carr were at that time unanswered : "When I wrote, I mentioned a monument
to John for all his work. Actually I wrote another letter because I thought the first had got lost, but I still didn't hear anything. "
Nick Lalich, was mayor of Fairfield when Newman was murdered. He had worked with Ngo on increasing branch numbers. He told The Australian
newspaper that he did not believe Ngo was guilty :
" Put it this way, we had the numbers at the next preselection so Newman was gone then anyway. Ngo did not want to stand for the lower house
so there was no need for him to kill John Newman . "
For laymen, it is difficult to understand the logic of the verdict - where the person said to have ordered the killing is convicted - but the people who
the police say he ordered to do the killing are acquitted.
A friend of Mr Ngo's has said :
"It's clearly an unsafe conviction when you've got two people who were supposed to be the shooter and the driver who were acquitted and have
come out publicly and said, look we clearly did not do that."
ADDITIONAL SOURCES :
Geesche Jacobsen & Les Kennedy, Fury at new chance for Phuong Ngo, Sydney Morning Herald, 7 June 2008.
.
ABC News, Police fury over assassination review , ABC Radio, 6 June 2008.
Malcolm Brown., Evidence that jailed audacious politician , Sydney Morning Herald, 7 June 2008.
Former solicitor and District Court Judge, now Acting Supreme Court Justice, David Patten will conduct a review
into the conviction of Phuong Ngo, for the murder of Cabramatta MP John Newman on 5 September 1994.
David Patten, at one time was President of the NSW Liberal Party (1978-1982).
Phuong Ngo was convicted by a jury on 29 June 2001 and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was convicted on
the basis that he was a principle in the first degree - by masterminding the killing, but the alleged killer, David Dinh,
and an alleged getaway car driver, Quang Dao, were both acquitted. The Crown alleged that the motive for the murder was to remove Mr
Newman, so that Ngo could take over the seat of Cabramatta.
He appealed to the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal. It dismissed his appeal on 3 April 2003 .He later sought leave to appeal to the High Court of
Australia. The leave application was heard on 28 May 2004. Mr Tim Game, SC , a very highly respected criminal defence counsel, appeared for
Mr Ngo and Mr Greg Smith, now the MP for Epping, appeared on behalf of the DPP. Leave was refused .
Peter Breen, a former NSW MLC, has strenuously advocated that Ngo was innocent. Tim Anderson , convicted of the Hilton bombing but later
freed, was present at Mr Ngo's sentence hearing. He has always vehemently believed Mr Ngo was wrongly convicted.
Calls for a review intensified after a Four Corners programme was screened on 7 April 2008.
Ngo is held in the notorious Supermax at Goulburn. He commenced his sentence at Long Bay Gaol, but after a public furore over a Chinese New
Year Party he held in the gaol, he was transferred to Lithgow. In June 2003 he was transferred to the Supermax, when it was claimed he was
planning an escape and was being given 'protection' by a gang of prisoners.
The killing of Mr Newman sent shock-waves through political circles. It was the first time a serving Australian politician was killed. This was
particularly worrying for MP's, as Mr Newman had taken a strong stand against crime and corruption. His last speech to parliament on 11 May
1994 was on that subject. To this day, former Minister at the time and later Opposition Leader, Kerry Chikarovski remembers exactly where she
was and what she was doing, when news reached her of the killing on that September night in 1994.
Following Mr Newman's death, a by-election in the seat of Cabramatta was held on 22 October 1994. Reba Meagher was selected as the Labor
candidate in a preselection contest with Ken Chapman, a Fairfield councillor and Newmans electoral secretary, by 32 votes to 26. Ms Meagher
won the by-election. Mr Ngo did not seek pre-selection. In her inaugural speech Ms Meagher expressed gratitude to many people for her
election :
" In particular I would like to mention councillors Nick Lalich, Ken Chapman and Phong Ngo, together with the members of the State Electorate
Council."
Prior to joining the Labor Party Mr Ngo had been a member of the Liberal Party. He resigned from the Liberal Party and stood as an Independent
against Mr Newman in the 1991 election. He joined the Labor Party in March 1993.
In early 1994, Mr Ngo told the Four Corners programme:
". . . I am just like a prostitute. I don't care whoever I sleep with, as long as I achieve things for the community that I represent."
In 1996 Ngo was involved in a branch-stacking competition with the Terrigal's Joe Tripodi MP (Fairfield), which related to a pre-selection for the
federal seat of Fowler. Mr Tripodi, founded the Park Areas branch and was busily recruiting members, whilst Mr Ngo was recruiting for the Canley
Vale branch. That branch-stacking was the impetus for NSW Labor to adopt new rules relating to branch membership.
In August 1997 Alex Mitchell and Jim O'Rourke wrote in the Sun-Herald newspaper :
THE first time they assassinated Labor MP John Newman was outside his home in Cabramatta on September 5, 1994.
After he was buried, they went after him again.
In the second assault, they assassinated his character, putting around rumours that Newman was involved in something shady.
And now, on the third anniversary of his murder, with his killers still at large, there is a concerted attempt to bury everything about him.
In death, Newman has become an embarrassment to his former colleagues in the parliamentary Labor Party. They would prefer to draw a veil
over the career of the maverick MP for Cabramatta because they are uneasy about the fallout from a full-scale investigation.
A benefit dinner at State Parliament last year in aid of his stateless, homeless and virtually penniless companion, Lucy Wang, was cancelled
through lack of support. Indeed, Liberal MPs donated more generously to Wang's support than his ALP comrades.
The long-running police investigation is stalled. If one is to believe the private police media briefings to hand-picked journalists, two of the gunmen
are already dead, having been slain in internal warfare within the notorious 5T drugs gang.
...........
Newman's brother, Peter Naumenko, cannot hide his anger either over the faltering police investigation and the Government's unusual silence
over the killing. He told The SunHerald: "There is still a deep anger seething inside us because no one has been punished for the crime. Knowing
that person is still out there, living, breathing, enjoying life and John is cold in the grave, that's not right. I want those people to feel the pain we
are going through. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot them myself."
Naumenko and his mother wanted to know why the police investigation had halted and why the Government and the political party which nurtured
her son were not pressing for a public inquiry.
"We get frustrated hearing and seeing media reports that police have information about certain individuals in relation to John's death, yet nothing
seems to come of it," Naumenko said.
"We've heard that the police have three main suspects. It's pretty obvious the police know who did it, yet they can't find enough evidence."
He said the family had received little feedback from the police despite assurances they would be kept up-to-date with any relevant new
information.
"The last contact we had with the police was about a year ago when they told us certain things and that they were working as hard as they could
and would let us know about any information as it came to hand," he said. "Obviously, they're now bogged down."
Naumenko and another Cabramatta resident have begun circulating a petition calling on the State Government to establish a royal commission
into who is controlling the drug trade in the region and whether the identity of those people is being covered up and by whom.
Last week, they attempted to leave a petition in the office of the Cabramatta MP Reba Meagher but were asked to leave.
"If the local member's office won't accept the petition, then who will?" asked Naumenko, who conceded that Meagher did not know who he was.
"At least I'm doing something, not like Government ministers who seem quite happy to see this issue die and go away. You'd think they'd look
after one of their own. They just want to wipe John's memory from Cabramatta."
............
Chapman, a Labor Party stalwart for 33 years, served on Fairfield Council for the first time between 1971-74. He met Newman in the late 1970s
when they were both members of the ALP's Canley Heights branch. Since Newman's death, Chapman's political life has been in turmoil.
As Cabramatta branch president and as a senior member of Fairfield Council representing the Cabramatta ward, he stood for preselection for his
late friend's seat. A bitter preselection battle erupted in which he lost to Meagher, a former Young Labor president from the north shore.
Chapman quit the ALP in disgust and formed his own party, the Cabra-Vale Independents. "The only way I could continue the crusade of John
Newman was to leave the ALP and stand for council as an Independent," he said.
He called for an immediate coronial inquiry, saying: "An inquest will raise a lot of issues and a lot of questions and put a lot more scrutiny on to a
lot of individuals. It has been a long, tedious and slow process, but I believe they should have enough information now to forward to an inquest.
"I think police have a good idea who did it and how it was done."
Chapman said he was frustrated at the attitude of the State Government towards the investigation. During a recent launch of a scheme to help
fight the drug problem in Cabramatta, Chapman had the chance to ask Police Minister Paul Whelan why the investigation into Newman's death
was taking so long. "He just looked at me with a blank stare and said nothing," Chapman said.
On 2 February 1998 a coronial inquiry began into Mr Newman's death, at Westmead Coroners Court.
During the period of the inquest, on 13 March 1998, Phuong Ngo , Tuan Van Tran and Quang Dao were arrested and charged with Mr Newman's
murder.
Initially a court Registrar, Steven Lister, granted Mr Ngo conditional bail. However, Magistrate Ross McDermid revoked the bail. Mr Ngo, who was
represented at that time by flamboyant Campbelltown solicitor, John Marsden, appealed to the Supreme Court, but Acting Justice Kenneth
Carruthers refused bail. He has remained in custody to this day..
Mr Dao was granted $1.2 million bail by Supreme Court Justice Hunt and remained on bail until his acquittal.
All three were committed for trial in September 1998, by Magistrate Michael Price.
Mr Dao obtained an order to be tried separately. A joint trial of Mr Ngo and Mr Tran commenced before Mr Justice James Wood and a jury of 12
on 19 July 1999. However, that trial was aborted on 3 August 1999 and the jury discharged.
Then a bombshell was dropped.- Mr Tran had made a statement to police, was prepared to give evidence for the prosecution and was to be
granted an immunity from prosecution by the Attorney-General.
As a result , Thai Duy (David) Dinh was arrested. It was alleged he fired the bullets that killed Mr Newman. He was charged with murder. He was
refused bail and remained in custody until his eventual acquittal..
A second joint trial, this time of Mr Ngo and Mr Dao, commenced in February 2000, once again before Justice James Wood and a jury. Mr Tran,
who had rolled over, gave evidence in the prosecution case. Other witnesses called had been interviewed by the State Crime Commission under
"oath", under the Star Chamber like rules applying to that organisation. John Della Bosca MLC gave evidence for the prosecution of his
discussions with Mr Ngo, about him seeking preselection for Cabramatta. John Marsden, who had ceased acting for Mr Ngo at this stage, was also
called as a witness. He angrily told the Crown prosecutor, Mr Mark Tedeschi, QC, in response to a question : : "All phone calls are important to
me. I don't belong to the Bar. I am not a member of a big city legal firm. We try to help everyone. Don't infer to me that it was an inconsequential
phone call.". On 7 May 2000 the jury were unable to reach a unanimous verdict in either the case of Mr Ngo or Mr Dao, and the jury was
discharged.
A third joint trial, of Phuong Ngo, Tu Quang Dao and Thai Dinh (David) Duy commenced on 17 March 2001 before Justice John Dunford . The
prosecution case was that Mr Ngo was the mastermind behind the assassination, Mr Dinh fired the gun and Mr Dao drove the gunman to and
from Mr Newman's house. The jury retired to consider their verdict on 25 June 2001. On 29 June 2001 the jury found Mr Ngo guilty, but Mr Dao
and Mr Duy not guilty. This verdict caused grave concern to Mr Newman's fiancée, as she believed it meant the actual killer was still in the
community.
A sentence hearing was conducted on October 2001. The Crown Prosecutor, Mark Tedeschi, QC, who had appeared at all the trials, called for a
life sentence.
On 14 November 2001 Justice John Dunford sentenced Mr Ngo to life imprisonment without parole. He said :
The criminality in this case is greatly aggravated because it involved the killing of a member of parliament for political ends ".
"It therefore constituted an offence not only against the individual victim but it was also a direct attack on our system of democratic representative
government and struck at the very fabric of our public institutions ".
Mr Ngo and Mr Dao had also been charged with demanding money with menace and malicious wounding, arising out of events about 6 months
before Mr Newman's killing.
The trial on those charges was held in .September 2003.Evidence was given that Mr Ngo threatened to kill a businessman Vinh Loc Nguyen and
harm his family if he did not waive $300,000 Ngo owed him, and give Ngo a further $300,000.It was claimed Mr Nguyen was held down by three
men in an office at Cabramatta's Mekong Club on 3 March and was then stabbed whilst a gun was pointed at his head. Both Mr Ngo and Mr Dao
were found not guilty.
John Newman's brother, Peter Naumenko (Newman had anglicised his name) was very annoyed with the family's treatment at the hands of NSW
Labor. After the guilty verdict he said :
"At John's funeral all the Labor politicians turned up, even Paul Keating. They all said, if you ever need anything, just give us a call and I did, but
they didn't want to know. "
Mr Naumenko believed Labor may have been embarrassed. Ngo had been courted by the ALP. Mr Naumenko beiieved this was because Ngo
could give Labor entree to the Vietnamese community, and he was persuasive and polite, even to the point of being obsequious. Mr Naumenko
had wanted a memorial to his brother, but his letters to Premier Bob Carr were at that time unanswered : "When I wrote, I mentioned a monument
to John for all his work. Actually I wrote another letter because I thought the first had got lost, but I still didn't hear anything. "
Nick Lalich, was mayor of Fairfield when Newman was murdered. He had worked with Ngo on increasing branch numbers. He told The Australian
newspaper that he did not believe Ngo was guilty :
" Put it this way, we had the numbers at the next preselection so Newman was gone then anyway. Ngo did not want to stand for the lower house
so there was no need for him to kill John Newman . "
For laymen, it is difficult to understand the logic of the verdict - where the person said to have ordered the killing is convicted - but the people who
the police say he ordered to do the killing are acquitted.
A friend of Mr Ngo's has said :
"It's clearly an unsafe conviction when you've got two people who were supposed to be the shooter and the driver who were acquitted and have
come out publicly and said, look we clearly did not do that."
ADDITIONAL SOURCES :
Geesche Jacobsen & Les Kennedy, Fury at new chance for Phuong Ngo, Sydney Morning Herald, 7 June 2008.
.
ABC News, Police fury over assassination review , ABC Radio, 6 June 2008.
Malcolm Brown., Evidence that jailed audacious politician , Sydney Morning Herald, 7 June 2008.
